BORDERLINE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does borderline mean? 

• BORDERLINE (noun)
  The noun BORDERLINE has 1 sense:

1. a line that indicates a boundary

  Familiarity information: BORDERLINE used as a noun is very rare.

• BORDERLINE (adjective)
  The adjective BORDERLINE has 1 sense:

1. of questionable or minimal quality

  Familiarity information: BORDERLINE used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BORDERLINE (noun)

Meaning:

A line that indicates a boundary

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

border; borderline; boundary line; delimitation; mete

Hypernyms ("borderline" is a kind of...):

bound; boundary; bounds (the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "borderline"):

circumference (the boundary line encompassing an area or object)

fence line (a boundary line created by a fence)

property line (the boundary line between two pieces of property)

state boundary; state line (the boundary between two states)

Instance hyponyms:

Green Line (the border marking the boundaries of the land that Israel won in its 1948 war of independence)

Line of Control (a 450-mile line that is supposed to indicate the boundary between the part of Kashmir controlled by India and the part controlled by Pakistan)

• BORDERLINE (adjective)

Meaning:

Of questionable or minimal quality

Synonyms:

borderline; marginal

Context examples:

borderline grades / madj.allarginal writing ability

Similar:

minimal; minimum (the least possible)